Stocks End Slightly Higher;
Siebel, Vivendi Lead Gains

By

Robert O'Brien Dow Jones Newswires

Updated Dec. 17, 2001 8:29 p.m. ET

NEW YORK -- Stocks drifted moderately higher in relatively thin trading as Wall Street, struggling to come up with reasons for placing aggressive bets on the market, nevertheless refused to let prices fall.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day 80.82 points higher, up 0.82%, at 9891.97, with a hodgepodge of stocks pacing the advance: Philip Morris added $1.14, or 2.5%, to $46.95, while United Technologies rose 1.39, or 2.3%,...